Method of making stockings



-Feb. 1, 1938. 1.. H. MENDELSOHN 7 METHOD OF MAKING STOCKINGS Filed July 24, 1936 I l 4 2' 2' 7 j a m m,

v INVENTOR, zou'mflA/lenozezwhn,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE 4 Claim.

at the top portion of the garment, as a strip of well known fabric comprising fibrous and longitudinal elastic rubber strands, the invention being particularly related to garments of this class in which the garter'becomes associated with the knitted web of thev garment in the forming of such web.

According to this invention the garter strip is preferably connected at both of its longitudinal edges with the knitted web with certain advantages, among which is that there will normally bea puckering of the band-like portion of the web along each line of connection between the same and the garter strip so that said portion of the web will be transversely and hence attractively shirred throughout its whole circumferentlal extent, if, in the formingof the garment. such strip is held stretched or extended beyond its normal length.

Preferably the garter strip is so disposed as to be the part of the garment in the zone of such strip which is exposed at the inside of the a garment; thus said strip directly contacts with and obtains a direct and sure grip on the wearers leg and it will be more or less concealed by said portion of the web in such zone, especially if said portion is shirred, while such portion will be saved from the creasing, with wear thereof and some discomfort incident thereto, which would occur if said portion of the web were at the inside and the garter strip at the outside of the garment. 35 The connection of the garter strip at both of its edges with the web has been accomplished by resort to a novel method of forming the garment.

In the drawing,

Figs. 1 to 4 are fragmentary inside elevations of top stocking portions showing four diflerent forms the invention may take;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the stocking in Fig. 1;

Figs. 1a and 1b are diagrammatic sectional views showing successive stages in the. produc-.- tion of the form shown by Fig. 1, and also useful in reference to the form shown by Fig. 2;

Figs. 3a, 3b and 3c are diagrammatic sectional views showing successive stages in the production of the form shown by ,Fig. 3; and

Fig. 4a is a diagrammatic sectional view, showing the manner of producing the form shownby Fig. 4.

In all shown the forms here shown the elastic garter strip l is assumed to be at the inside of the stocking, or the side presented toward the observer in Figs; 1 to 4, and it forms with a knitted circumferential band-like portion of the web 2 a tubular welt. In all such forms the garter 5 strip is connected at both its longitudinal edges to the web in the knitting operation, being free thereof between its said edges. The elastic garter strip may be of said well known fabric comprising fibrous and longitudinal elastic rubber 10 strands, and it will usually have its longitudinal edges existing with selvages which are readily puncturable by knitting needles.

In Fig. 1 the said band-like portion of the web ,2 is designated 2a and it has the same width as the garter strip.

In Fig. 2 said band-like portion is designated 2b and it is made to have a greater width in the forming thereof than the garter strip so that the major part of the circumferential extent of the resulting tubular welt in cross-section is formed by such portion.

In Fig. 3 said band-like portion is designated 2c, having the same width as the garter strip, and there is a super-welt of tubular form formed by a further band-like portion 2d of the web.

In Fig. 4 said band-like portion is designated 2e, having the same width as the garter strip, and there is a super-welt of tubular form formed by a further band-like portion 2! of the web which is connected with the first-named welt by a fillet 2a. A

If it is desired that the welt 2b, 2! or iii shall tend to maintain a flattened form, involving a crease or opposite creases therein, this may be accomplished by providing in the knitting of the web for a row or rows of picot loops where each such crease should be; such is not shown as forming no part of the invention.

In all the forms when the garter strip undergoes connection with the web being formed the garter strip is preferablyv held stretched insome way beyond its normal longitudinal dimension (for' instance, as in application Serial No, 759,184, of Arthur Rinehart and myself), wherefore when it is permitted to relax to normal length there will be a desirable transverse shirring, as at 3, of the portion 2a, 2b, 20 or 2e opposed to the garter strip, the same extending across such portion and more or less affecting the region below or above it.

To accomplish connection of the garter strip at both of its edges with the knitted web the procedure according to this invention is as follows: The garter strip has one longitudinal ewe imiii paled on the row of needles of a fiat knitting machine. The edge so impaled is preferably its posterior one relative to the direction in which the web progresses (arrow x, Fig. in) each time a row of stitches is added to it. The needles are then made to draw a course of yarn loops a through said edge of the garter strip, thus afi'ording connection between such edge and the portion of the web now to be developed; obvious difficulties would be encountered if the anterior edge were first impaled on the needles. The development of such portion now proceeds in the usual way independently of said strip until such portion has attained the desired width. Thereupon the garter strip is inverted and what was its anterior edge is now impaled on the needles, the-needles are made to draw another course of yarn loops, such as a, through this edge, thus affording connection between the same and the portion of the web next to be developed, and

finally the development of this portion proceeds.

in the usual way independently of the garter strip. The inverting of said strip is usually done in the direction of the arrow 1 or so' that the strip will now be over the web, since if it were done in the opposite direction it would be necessary to remove the web from the needles in order to efiect the impaling of. said anterior edge of the garter strip on the needles.

To form the garment as in Fig. 1 see Figs. 1a and 11). Fig. 1a shows the garter impaled at its posterior edge on the needles as explained. Fig. 1b shows that, after the connection with such edge has been formed and the portion 2a of the web has been developed, the garter strip has been inverted and its anterior edge impaled on the needles, preparatory to forming the connection *between such edge and the web and the continuance of the knitting, independently of said strip, to finish the garment.

To form the garment as in Fig. 2 the pro- 'cedure is essentially the same excepting that the second impaling step is delayed until portion 2b (wider than portion 241) has been developed.

To form the garment of Fig. 3 see Figs. 3a to 30. The knitting is first performed until the portion 2d has been developed to the required width, whereupon its previously anterior edge and the posterior edge of the garter strip are both impaled on the needlesFig'. 3a. Thereupon the procedure is the same as that first described excepting that both plies of the foldedback portion of the web become connected when the course of loops 0 is drawn through the garte strip and such plies.

To form the garment of Fig. 4 see Fig. 4a. The

procedure is the same as in Figs. 3a-3c excepting as follows: When the band-like portion if has been developed to the proper width to produce the mentioned super-welt such portion has its anterior edge impaled on the needles, which then draw a course of loops a through the two plies of such portion to connect them, whereupon the knitting proceeds in the usual way to form the fillet 2g. Then the garter strip is impaled at its posterior edge and the operation proceeds as in Figs. 1a and 1b.

As shown by Figs. 1b,'3b and 3c the longitudinal margins of the opposite broad faces of the garter strip are actually held presented to the web. If the connection formed between the initially anterior edge of the garter strip and the web exists in the usually thin selvage of the strip the fold shownin the latter is hardly apparent in practice, especially if the connection is close to such edge.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim is:

1. The method of forming the hereindescribed foot garment which consists in impaling one longitudinal edge of an elastic garter strip on a row of needles while holding said edge stretched beyond its normal length, causing such needles to draw a course of loops of yarn through said edge and thereupon forming a band-like portion of a knitted web of such yarn, then impaling the other longitudinal edge of the garter strip on the needles, again causing the needles to draw a course of loops of the yarn through the latter edge, and continuing to form the knitted web.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 characterized by impaling the second-named edge on the needles while holding such second-named edge stretched beyond its normal length.

3. The method of forming the hereindescribed foot garment which consists in impaling the relatively posterior edge of an elastic garter strip on a row of needles while holding said edge stretched beyond its normal length, causing such needles 1 i l i to draw a courseof loops of yarn through said LOUIS H. LEENDELSOHN. 

